13 Years Later
by stacerswanson
Summary: A look at the Hesse and Arbogast families 13 years later.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Getting three children up and ready for school was never an easy feat, but today Diana Hesse was feeling even more tired than usual. Since her husband was out of town every task of caring for their children fell upon her shoulders, and it was wearing on her. She had already managed to get the two youngest children up, and now it was time to wake up the oldest. She walked into the bedroom to see Junior curled up in the covers sleeping peacefully, her long blond hair covering part of her face.

"Junior, wake up," she said softly, as she rubbed her daughter's shoulder. "It's time to get up, darling."

"Ugh," muttered Junior in reply as she rolled to her other side. "I don't need to be up, my alarm hasn't gone off."

"Yes it has love," said Diana as she gently started to pull the covers down. "It sounded five minutes ago, you just didn't hear it."

Junior opened her eyes and looked at the clock on her nightstand. Realizing that her mother was correct she got out of bed, almost panicked, grabbed the clothes off the chair she had laid out the night before and made her way toward the bathroom down the hall.

"I turned your straightener on for you," Diana called down the hall.

"Thanks mom," said Junior just before shutting the bathroom door.

About 20 minutes later Junior emerged from the bathroom ready for the day. Her siblings were already sitting at the kitchen table starting to eat, while her mother stood at the counter packing lunches. Diana looked up to see her daughter in a long navy blue sun dress, worn with a pair of flat, mint green sandals.

"Where did you get that dress?" inquired Diana as she threw a sandwich into her youngest child's lunch box.

"I got it at a thrift store last weekend when I went shopping with Aunt Angela," she replied, taking a seat next to her five year old sister "The seventies are coming back, even Vogue said so. You like it?"

"It's lovely, dear."

The truth was that Diana didn't care for the outfit at all. It wasn't revealing, but instead it gave the impression that the young girl wearing it was far older than she was. Instead of looking like a freshmen in high school, her daughter looked as though she could have easily fit in on a college campus. Even her makeup choices reflected a certain maturity. While most girls her age were drawn to brightly colored eyeshadows and applied them with an inexperienced and heavy hand, Junior applied neutral shades in a way that most women fail to master the art of until their mid twenties.

"I think you look beautiful," squealed Claire, the youngest Hesse.

"And I think you look ridiculous," added Jamie, smirking at his older sister before shoveling another bite of cereal into his mouth.

Out of all three children, Jamie resembled their father the most. At only 12 he was already close to six feet tall, he was lean, and he was the only child in the family to need glasses, which he hated.

"If I wanted the opinion of peasants I would have asked for it," snapped Junior.

"It's not even 8am," exclaimed Diana, irritated. "Be civil with each other."

The bickering siblings were silent, yet they stared at each other in a way that signaled their argument was far from finished, and would be sorted out at a later time. But for now, they went back to eating their cereal.

"Junior, remember you have a half day of school today," said Diana as she placed applesauce cups into two lunch bags. "So Larry will be picking you and Jake up."

"I wish I had a half day of school," Jamie whined as he stood up and took his empty bowl to the sink.

"I don't," replied Claire with a serious look on her face. The youngest Hesse child had inherited her mother's soft, blond hair, and her aptitude for learning from both parents. "I love school!"

"Give it a few years," grumbled Junior before taking the last bite of her cereal.

A moment later they heard the familiar honk of Angela's minivan outside the house. Diana scurried to pass out lunch bags and kiss each of her children before hurrying them out the front door.

All three children hurried toward the blue van, Jamie opening the door and crawling in first, followed by Claire, and last by Junior. She quickly shut the door and helped Claire get buckled into her booster seat.

"Morning kids," said Angela cheerfully. "Junior that dress looks great."

"Thanks," replied Junior, slightly bashfully. "I was excited to see that the weather would be warm enough for it today.

"Beautiful weather, and a half day of school," declared Jake from the front seat. "Basically the perfect San Francisco fall day."

"San Francisco has better Autumn weather than Summer weather," said Angela as she turned down the street leading toward the children's schools. "I've lived here for almost 30 years, it's a fact."

"Not to mention my birthday is next month," added Jake with a smirk. "Hope I get something good."

"I asked my parents for a sewing machine," chimed Junior. "We'll see if it happens."

"What do you want a sewing machine for?" inquired Angela.

"So she can pretend she's back in the 1950's," replied Jamie quickly.

"No," exclaimed Junior. "I kind of want to try making some clothes."

"Kind of?" asked Jake turning in his seat to look back his friend. "Mom, she has a sketchbook full of things dresses and outfits that she's drawn up."

"I think that's great," said Angela sincerely.

"I smell fish," said Jamie suddenly, while looking at his oldest sister.

"Don't look at me," shrieked Junior.

"Well I know what's in my lunch, looked," replied Jamie.

"Claire, let me see your lunch bag," said Junior.

"Why?" asked Claire as she handed the bag over.

Junior opened the bag and pulled out a tuna fish sandwich on wheat in an ill-fitted sandwich bag.

"Mom accidentally packed you a tuna sandwich."

"But I hate tuna!" whined the small child.

"I know," replied Junior empathetically. She reached into her own backpack and pulled out a ten dollar bill, which she promptly tucked into her sister's lunch box. "I don't have a lunch to trade with you, so you're going to have to buy school lunch today."

"But I don't know how to buy lunch," said Claire quietly. "I've never done it before."

"Then it's time to learn," replied Junior in a matter-of-fact tone. "Do you know Nolan Prewitt?"

"Yes."

"Good," said Junior. "Find Nolan at lunch time. I know for a fact that he has a new stepmother that makes him buy school lunch every day. He'll show you how."

"Here we are, guys," announced Angela as she pulled up in front of the high school. "Have a good day. And Jake, don't forget your dad's picking you up, so if he's late call his cell phone."

"Ok, mom," said Jake as he exited the vehicle.

"Doesn't your mom know Claire doesn't like tuna?" inquired Jake as opened the the door to school for his friend.

"Yeah, she does," sighed Junior. "But with my dad gone she's overwhelmed. Plus, he normally makes our lunches. At about noon she's going to open up her own lunch and realize she gave her sandwich to Claire accidentally."

"When does your dad get back?"

"Monday night," she replied as they reached their locker. The two had been forced to share a locker in elementary school, and never stopped sharing one even once they reached middle school and were assigned their own. "He's got one more speaking thing left. It's in Oklahoma, I think. I don't know I lost track."

"Hey when my dad picks us up maybe we can talk him into going to a movie or something."

"I bet we can convince him to buy us junk food, too," added Junior as she grabbed her history book off the shelf.

The two walked down the hall a few feet then parted ways as Jake went to history and Junior headed toward Algebra.

At 11:10 am the bell rang and all high school students were released for the day. At 11:20 am Jake and Junior sat side-by-side on one of the benches in front of the school sharing a package of skittles Jake bought out of the vending machine. Neither was worried since the Arbogast patriarch was often late.

"I'm starving," said Junior as she fidgeted in her seat. "I'm definitely demanding food when he gets here."

A few minutes later Larry Arbogast's BMW came into view, and pulled up to the curb. Even with tinted windows it was obvious that he wasn't alone. When the car came to a stop the passenger door opened and Alex Hesse stepped out, opening the rear door of the car for the kids.

"I thought you weren't coming home until Monday," inquired Junior as she walked up to the car.

"I missed you too, darling," replied Alex as he pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head. She crawled into the back seat, followed by Jake, Alex shutting the door behind them before getting back in the front seat. "My last lecture was canceled so I came home early."

"And I was kind enough to pick him up from the airport," chimed Larry. "But no need to thank me for my selfless act."

"I'm hungry, Uncle Larry," said Junior. "Can we get lunch?"

"I think we should go to Buffalo Wild Wings," suggested Jake.

"Yes!" agreed Junior.

"Ok we put it to a vote," said Larry. "Who wants wings?"

All three passengers raised the hands.

"Outnumbered again," sighed Larry. He then looked at Alex, "You're supposed to be on my side, ya know."

"Not when it comes to food," replied Alex with a shrug.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When they arrived at the restaurant the parking lot was quite full for lunch time. After finding a parking space the group went inside and were seated at a high-top table near the bar.

"What are we getting?" asked Alex, not looking up from the menu.

"I want to try the Asian Zing," replied Jake.

"I could go for that," replied Alex before looking at his daughter. "And I already know you want Garlic Parmesan."

"How'd you guess?" asked Junior.

"Oh let's see," replied Alex with a smile. "You only get them every single time.

"I'm going to try the Spicy Garlic this time," announced Alex. "What are you getting, Larry?"

"A chicken wrap," replied Larry, setting his menu on the table. "I've never understood the love of wings. I mean, they used to be considered the cheap garbage meat. Now they just throw some sauce on 'em and everybody and their brother want some."

"But they're so good!" added Junior.

"How do you know?!" asked Larry, chuckling. "You get them covered in sauce, and then you add ranch to them! All you're tasting is the condiments you've put on them. In fact, I'm getting you both a bottle of ranch, and some wing sauce for your birthday. You can make smoothies. Cheapest gift I'll ever have bought."

"Maybe some wing sauce and ranch will make your cooking edible," replied Jake.

"Very funny."

"I thought so," replied Jake with a smirk.

After their food had been served and they had eaten, the two teenagers went to play some of the arcade games off to the corner in the restaurant.

"Can you believe they're going to be 14 next month?" asked Larry as he watched the two of them play a golf game. "Before we know it we'll be packing them up and sending them off to college."

"I know, it seems crazy," replied Alex. "Although unless Junior gets her grades up she'll be touring community colleges."

"Is she failing?" asked Larry, surprised to hear that the bright girl currently laughing with his son could possibly be sub-par in the academic portion of her life.

"She's not failing, but she definitely isn't putting all of her effort into it," Alex explained. "She spends most of her time looking at fashion magazines, which I hate, and dreaming of going to art school, which I hate even more."

"But she's good at art," replied Larry.

"True," conceded Alex. "But what kind of life is she going to have as an artist? I'd prefer for her to have something more stable and have art as a hobby."

"I get what you're saying," said Larry.

"She asked for a sewing machine for her birthday," added Alex after a few moments of silence.

"Are you serious?" asked Larry chuckling. "Why does she want that?"

"She said she wants to try making her own clothes," replied Alex with a shrug. "My concern is that it will distract her even more from her studies."

"And then you have Jamie," added Larry. "He's the spitting image of you in every way."

"It's kind of amazing how two kids with the same parents can be so different," remarked Alex. "I never have to ask Jamie if his homework for the next day is finished. It's done, he's proofread it, and it's in his backpack. Junior waits until the last minute, then forgets it on her dresser when she leaves for school. But socially, she's light years ahead of him. She's always getting invitations to somebody's birthday party, while Jamie hasn't gotten an invitation to anything since elementary school."

"A chip off the old block," said Larry, unable to hold back his laughter.

"Pretty much," agreed Alex with a grin.

Soon Jake and Junior were out of money, and returned to the table. Alex paid the bill, while Larry left the tip on the table.

After returning home Junior went to her room, while Alex went started a load of laundry before going into his office to check his email. He had received a reply to the email he had written early that morning.

_Hey Alex,_

_I'm sorry but there aren't any openings right now at the University. If there were I'm sure they'd hire you in a heartbeat. I'll keep my ears open if anything opens up, and make sure you're the first to know. _

_Have you thought about teaching over at the community college? I know it's not as prestigious as what you're used to, but the pay is decent (not that you need it moneybags haha), and it could help keep you sharp._

_Sorry I couldn't be of more help._

_Bill_

Alex leaned back in his chair thinking about what he'd just read. He had hoped his old colleague could get him in at USF. Although the speaking tours could be interesting, he missed being at home. He had the means to retire, but not the desire. He hadn't mentioned the idea to his wife, but had no doubt that she'd be happier to have him at home every night.

After reading the rest of his messages he got up and made his way to the kitchen to decide what to fix for dinner that night. Upon opening the fridge it was apparent to him that there would be nothing for dinner without a trip to the grocery store. He jotted down a quick list and went upstairs. Junior's bedroom door was open and she was sitting at her desk typing what looked to be a letter.

"We have to go to the grocery store," he said from the doorway.

"Right now?" she whined. "I'm right in the middle of something."

"Yes, don't be surly," replied Alex. "We need groceries for dinner and I want to go to the store before we pick up the others. You can finish whatever you're working on when we get back."

With a heavy sigh she saved her document and shut her laptop.

"Were you working on homework?" inquired Alex.

"No, we didn't get any homework today. I was doing some personal writing."

"What kind of personal writing?"

"Nothing special," replied Junior as she walked past her father and down the stairs.

Alex wondered at what point his daughter became so secretive. He always knew at some point she would want privacy, but it was hard to believe that just a few years ago she had told him everything. As he walked out to his Jeep he wondered what he could do to get some of that back.

Once at the grocery store Alex grabbed a cart, while Junior grabbed a sale flyer. Together they wandered the aisles picking up the staples for the family. After getting milk, cereal, and orange juice, it was time to decide what to pick up for dinner.

"Chicken breasts are on sale," said Junior looking at the ad. "So is ground beef."

"Good, tonight we can have baked chicken, and tomorrow I'll make chili," replied Alex. "Two foods that all of you kids will eat."

"How long are you going to be home this time?"

"Indefinitely," replied Alex. "I'm playing it by ear as to when I'll to another speaking tour."

"Good."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

That evening after the kids were in bed, Alex and Diana were lying in their own bed just holding each other. Alex had his eyes closed, but was far from asleep.

"Do you have any idea how much I miss having you here at home?" asked Diana.

Alex opened his eyes and brushed a piece of hair off her face, smiling.

"How much?" he asked playfully.

"I hate sleeping in this bed alone. And I hate having to take care of the kids alone," she admitted. "I know it's your career, and I know you love it. But sometimes it just… sucks."

"I know," Alex agreed. "I hate not seeing the kids, even if it's only for a week. I love public speaking, but at what cost? I feel like I'm missing out by not being here.

"That's why I'm not leaving again."

"Are you serious?" asked Diana.

"I'm completely serious," he replied. "I emailed Bill Carter about maybe getting a teaching position at USF. Unfortunately there aren't any open positions, but he mentioned the possibility of me getting into a community college. I could be at home, still work, and still see the kids."

"That would be wonderful," exclaimed Diana. She leaned over and kissed him lightly.

"I tell you I'm staying home for good, and all I get is a quick peck on the lips?" teased Alex, laughing.

Meanwhile a thunderstorm outside proceeded to send flashes of light into the sky along with loud cracks of thunder. Junior was lying in bed reading a book by the light of the small lamp on her nightstand. Her bedroom door opened, and Claire was standing in the doorway.

"What are you doing up?" asked Junior.

"I'm afraid of the storm," confessed Claire. "Can I get in bed with you?"

"I guess," replied Junior, pretending to sound annoyed she pulled back the covers. "Get in."

Claire sped across the room jumping into her older sister's bed and snuggled down under the blankets.

"What are you reading?" she asked.

"It's called 'To Kill a Mockingbird,'" answered Junior. "It's very good."

"Will you read it to me?"

"It's a little bit to mature for you," explained Junior. "I don't think you'd be able to appreciate it right now. But in a few years you'll be able to read it on your own."

Junior put the book on her nightstand, and got out of the bed, walking toward the large bookcase. She reached to the top shelf and pulled down a small paperback book, and returned to her bed, snuggling up against her sister.

"I think this is something you would enjoy more," she said as she showed the book to Claire. "This was one of my favorite books when I was your age. It's called 'Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth.'"

"Oh, please read it to me," whined Claire.

"I will if you stop whining long enough for me to open it," chuckled Junior. She opened the worn book and began reading:

"'My name is Junie B. Jones. The B stands for Beatrice. Except I don't like Beatrice. I just like B and that's all-'"

"Did you like this book when you were little because the girl has your name?" Claire interrupted.

"Well, yeah," admitted Junior. "I've never known anyone with my name before, and Junie B. was the closest I was ever going to get."

"I like your name," said Claire.

"I like yours, too," replied Junior with a smile. She began to read again, getting through about 15 pages before her sister fell asleep. Once she was certain Claire was asleep Junior marked the page of the book, placed it on her nightstand, and turned off the light.

When she was younger thunderstorms always frightened Junior to the point that she ended up sleeping in her parents' bed. But as she got older the sound of rain became more comforting, and she never slept better than during a storm. She rolled over and shut her eyes, almost instantly falling asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The fall air was crisp when Junior stepped out to get the mail. She was waiting for the next issue of her Vogue to come. She looked forward every month to its arrival. She could sit for hours looking through the pages imagining the day when her designs might be featured. She was sorely disappointed when she opened the mailbox and it was absent. Junior grabbed the mail and went back into the house. She carried the stack of what was mostly comprised of bills on her father's desk. He looked up and smiled.

"How much junk is in there today?" he asked playfully.

"The average amount," replied Junior. "Although the furniture store downtown is having a sale."

"When aren't they having a sale?" replied Alex as he sorted through the envelopes. He picked up a slightly thicker envelope, opening it. "Oh look, your mom's new passport arrived."

He got up and crossed the room, unlocking a small safe. He opened it, took Diana's old passport out, replacing it with the new one. Junior walked over and took the expired passport in her hands.

"Why do passport photos always make people look so….irritated?" she inquired

"It's just the nature of them," said Alex, laughing. He pulled out his own passport. "I look like I'm ready to go on a murderous rampage in mine."

Junior looked for herself, agreeing that he did look quite menacing. As she placed her father's passport back in the safe she noticed a brown leather book. It appeared to be some type of journal, and it looked quite old. She pulled it out of the safe.

"What's this?" she asked, holding up the book.

"Not for your eyes," replied Alex in a gentle manner, taking it from her and placing it back in the safe before shutting the door.

What could possibly be in that book that it needed to be kept in a safe? It looked like an ordinary journal, something you might pick up from the local chain bookstore, just a bit worn. She didn't dwell on it for long, her mind quickly changing subjects. Alex was already at his desk opening bills and placing them in stacks. Junior walked over and sat in the large armchair that was next to his desk.

"When do you leave again?" she inquired as she started to bite at your cuticles, a habit that she'd had since she was small.

"Ready to have me gone again, already?" asked her father, looking up from the cell phone bill he had been examining.

"No, I was just wondering."

"I'm not leaving again," he admitted. "Right now I'm looking for a job that doesn't require travel."

"Do you need to work?" asked Junior. "I mean, Jake told me that you and his dad got rich off that drug you invented. If that's true, why do you need a job?"

"That is true, to a point," answered Alex honestly. He had always tried to be as honest with Junior as possible regarding his career. "I don't need the money that I gain from working, but I need to work for my own personal sanity. I enjoy what I do. If I were to retire and sit around all day, I would be miserable."

Their conversation was interrupted by Claire bursting into the room, holding a DVD in her small hand.

"Daddy, I want to watch _Little Mermaid_ but Jamie won't put the movie in the player for me," she whined. "He knows I can't reach it, but he won't help."

"Oh, honey, come here," replied Alex as he stood up. The youngest Hesse walked over to her father and he scooped her up, pulling her close to him. "How about I make some popcorn and we watch it together?"

"Yes!" squealed Claire. "Junior are you going to watch it with us?"

"Sure," replied Junior. "I'll be there in a second."

Alex set Claire on the floor and she promptly left the room, Alex watching her leave. He thought to himself that regardless of where he found work it would be nice to be home. He felt like traveling on and off the past two years had meant missing out on many so many things at home.

"I remember you at that age," said Alex to his eldest daughter, smiling. "Although, you were much more of a handful. If you were quiet, your mother and I worried."

"Oh come on, I wasn't that bad," replied Junior.

"Oh you weren't? I seem to remember a certain blond haired little girl putting Vaseline in her brother's hair, and then sprinkling baby powder on top."

"I was just trying to make him smell better," explained Junior. "It's not my fault that I didn't possess the means to make that dream a reality."

"His hair was greasy for a week," replied Alex.

"Still funny."

Alex walked to the doorway shaking his head, but with an undeniable grin on his face. He turned back to his daughter.

'Are you coming?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute."

Junior sat there for a moment. The old journal came back to mind. She wondered what could possibly be in that book that her father wanted it out of sight so much. Finally resigning herself to never knowing, she stood up from the chair and left the room. Any thought of that book was out of her mind for some time to come.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A few weeks later came Junior and Jake's 14th birthday. Keeping with tradition, the Hesses and Arbogasts would be having dinner together that evening. It was Jake's turn to choose where their birthday dinner was held, and he chose to go to an upscale steakhouse in the Embarcadero across town from where both families lived. When Diana heard which restaurant they would be going to she remarked that Jake had clearly gotten his taste for expensive things from his father.

Alex had already snuck the gifts for both teens into the back of his jeep, and now he was seeing to getting dressed. He could hear his wife struggling to get their youngest ready for dinner.

"Please, Claire," implored Diana. "I really need you to get dressed. We have a dinner reservation."

"But why can't I wear this?" whined Claire, pointing to the sweater and jeans she was currently wearing. "I like this."

"Because we're going to a nice restaurant tonight," explained Diana. "If you show up in your school clothes you will look out of place."

Alex decided to intervene. He walked into Claire's bedroom as he was finishing tying his tie, giving her a stern look.

"Claire, put the dress on," he said flatly, but not in a cold manner. "We're going to dinner, this is not an option up for discussion."

"Ok," she sighed. "I'll put on the dress, but that doesn't mean I like it."

"I can live with that," said Alex as he turned and left the room to finish getting ready. He had just finished putting on his suit jacket when he felt his wife embrace him from behind, placing her arms around him.

"Did I mention how good it is to have you home?" she asked softy. He turned around to face her.

"What? So I can be the bad guy?" he joked.

"Precisely." She stood on her tippy toes to give him a quick peck on the lips.

"That's all I get?" he asked. "I'd like a little more than that."

"Later," replied Diana as she crossed the bedroom to get ready herself.

Alex decided to see how the oldest children were faring in getting ready. He knocked on his son's door and waited for a reply.

"Come in," called Jamie. Alex opened the door to see his son fully dressed in khakis and a navy jacket, sitting at his desk playing a computer game of which Alex knew nothing about.

"I was just checking to see if you were ready," said Alex crossing the room and sitting on the bed. He looked around his son's room, taking in the band posters on each wall, the only one he recognized was Coldplay.

"Yeah," replied Jamie. "I've been dressed for a while."

"Good, one less kid I need to herd out the door in a timely manner," chuckled Alex. "What's new with you?"

"Nothing," replied Jamie not turning from his computer screen. This was a standard reply from his son that he had grown used to.

"Ok," said Alex, standing up from the bed, and walking toward the door. "We're leaving at seven o'clock sharp, so I'll see you downstairs."

The only reply he received was a thumbs up. Leaving the room, he wondered exactly when his son had become so introverted. Alex walked to the door across the hall and knocked. A few moments later Junior opened the door a crack only showing her face through the door.

"What is it?" she asked. She acted as though she had been interrupted.

"I'm just making sure you'll be ready to leave in half an hour," said Alex. "Our reservation is at seven-thirty."

"Yeah," she replied abruptly. "I'll be out when I'm done getting dressed."

"Ok," said Alex, turning to walk back to his own room, and his daughter's door shut.

Walking back to his own bedroom, he passed Claire's room, and she wasn't inside. Great, now he needed to go wrangle the five year old. He just prayed that she still had her dress on. She wasn't in the living room, but he found her standing in the kitchen in her best dress eating Teddy Grahams straight from the box.

"What are you doing?" he inquired.

"Having a snack," she said, shoving another cracker into her mouth.

"That's obvious," replied Alex. "But why are you eating when we're going to dinner."

"Because I might not like the food," said Claire in a matter-of-fact way.

"I'm sure we can find something you like," said Alex, taking the box from her and putting it back in the cupboard. "Now go get your shoes on."

"I need help," whined Claire.

"Please don't whine," replied Alex. "Let's go get your shoes and I will help you. We're leaving soon."

He followed his youngest daughter out of the kitchen and upstairs. As they were about to go into Claire's room Junior came out of hers. She was wearing an emerald green dress with black pumps. As she walked into the bathroom she called back "Almost ready."

"Ok," replied her father before he quickly walked into his own bedroom. Diana was sitting at her vanity putting on earrings. "Have you seen what our daughter is wearing to dinner tonight?" he asked.

"What?!" said Diana, surprised. "Isn't she wearing the green dress?"

"You mean you knew about that dress?!" asked Alex. He couldn't believe that his wife knew what their daughter was going to wear and was fine with it.

"I helped her pick it out," replied Diana. "We went shopping a few weekends ago and that was the dress we chose."

"It's too grown-up for her," said Alex. "She should be wearing things more age appropriate."

"And where do you suggest we should buy such clothing?" asked Diana. "She's 14. And if you hadn't noticed she's too tall to still shop in the children's department. The dress isn't revealing; it's not low-cut, and it falls to about an inch above her knee. Her peers are wearing much worse, and I'm taking a tasteful dress, no matter how 'grown-up' you believe it to be, as a win."

Alex was about to reply, when Claire's voice interrupted him.

"Daddy, you were supposed to help me with my shoes," she said from the doorway.

"I'm sorry, honey," he replied as he walked over, picked her up and placed her on the edge bed. "I got distracted." He helped the youngest buckle her shoes. "Are you ready to go now?"

"Yes."

"Good," he said with a smile. "Now go tell your sister that we're leaving in ten minutes."

Claire pushed herself off the bed and left the room. Diana was grabbing a bag out of her walk-in closet when Alex started back on the same conversation that they had been interrupted in the middle of.

"I'm not saying that it isn't hard to find clothes for her," he admitted. "I would just like my child to dress as such."

"But that's the problem," said Diana. "She's not really a child anymore. True, Junior is a minor in our care, but she's closer to adulthood than she is to being a toddler."

"Don't remind me," replied Alex as he took a seat in the armchair next to the closet. "I can't believe it's been 14 years since we became parents."

"I know," replied Diana. "It seem like yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital with absolutely no idea what we were doing."

"Are you implying that we have an idea now?" asked Alex with a grin.

"Not in the slightest."

After finally loading all the kids in the car the Hesse family made their way across town. The family SUV pulled up to the front of the restaurant. The exterior looked was sleek and dimly lit, giving at an air of a pretentiousness.

"Well look who finally showed up," exclaimed Larry as the Hesse family walked in. He immediately pulled Junior into a tight hug. "Happy birthday, Princess."

"Thanks, Uncle Larry," she replied as she turned to greet Angela.

"I can't believe you let her out in that dress," murmured Larry to Alex.

"Don't get me started," replied Alex. "I think I may need a drink."

After being shown to a large table and ordering their meals conversation began to flow as it always did.

"So what's new with you, Alex?" inquired Angela.

"Oh you know, just easing into that unemployed life," replied Alex with a chuckle. "I spend a lot of time every day wandering the house before sitting down for daytime television. But hopefully that will change soon. I have a meeting next week about a potential job."

"Are you going back to teaching?" asked Larry before taking a long draw from his beer.

"Hopefully," replied Alex. "I may start out by subbing for a biology teacher who is going on medical leave next month. But that all depends on how the meeting goes next week."

"I don't think you'll have any trouble," replied Angela. "I doubt there are any other applicants that are as qualified."

"Thanks," replied Alex. "That's exactly what I'm hoping for."

After their meal was finished Larry and Alex brought in the gifts for their children to open. Jake grabbed a box wrapped in a teal wrapping paper off his stack and started to tear the paper which revealed a pair of shoes.

"Shoes for lifting!" he exclaimed. "Exactly what I wanted."

"Actually, they're not," replied Alex. "But these are better than the ones you requested. In the other two boxes with the same paper you'll find gloves to with them.

"Thanks," said Jake. "You can help me start using them before track season starts."

"Well obviously I'd love to," replied Alex. "Glad you like them."

Next Junior took a small pink and silver box off of her stack opening it to reveal an eyeshadow palette of neutral colors. Her face beamed.

"How did you know I wanted this?" she asked her mother.

"I saw you looking at it a few weeks ago at Sephora when we went dress shopping," replied Diana. "I'm glad I picked the right one."

"Yes you did," replied Junior. "I can't wait to try it out. Thanks, Mom."

After opening several other gifts only two gifts remained for the teens, one for each. Both were the same size and shape except with one wrapped in purple wrapping paper, and one wrapped in green.

"Well kids," said Larry handing Jake the green box and the purple to Junior. "These are from me.

Jake and Junior ripped off the wrapping paper to reveal brand new iPads.

"You outdid yourself this year, Dad," said Jake smiling. "I asked for one not thinking I'd get it."

"I did quite a good job convincing you that you wouldn't be getting one," replied Larry. "I'm glad the deception worked."

"Thanks, Uncle Larry," said Junior. "I never expected this."

"I bet you never expected this either," he replied reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a gift card. "This will let you subscribe to all those crazy fashion magazines you like on the iPad. No more stalking your poor mailman every month."

"Thank you so much," she said as she stood up to give him a hug. "I love it."

As they were leaving the restaurant Junior was quiet. Diana knew why: the one gift she had asked for she hadn't received. They made their way home, Claire falling asleep so Alex had to carry her in. After helping Claire change into her pajamas and get into bed Alex went and put on a pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt. He then made his way to his eldest daughter's room, and knocked on the door.

"Come in," called Junior. As Alex opened the door he saw his daughter sitting cross legged on her bed going through the manual for her iPad. "Hey dad."

"Hey," replied Alex as he walked in with one hand behind his back. "There's one gift you didn't get at dinner tonight."

He pulled a small silver box from behind his back and handed it to her.

"What is it?" she asked holding the light little package in her hand.

"Open it," said Alex as he sat on the edge of her bed. She opened the box to reveal a jewelry box.

"You got me jewelry?" she asked as she popped the lid open to reveal a white gold locket in the shape of a heart with small diamonds around the edge. "Are these real diamonds?!"

"Yes they are," answered Alex. "Flip it over."

She flipped the locket over and inscribed on the back in beautiful lettering "My Pride" was inscribed in it. She looked up at her father unsure of what to say.

"I had that inscribed on there because I want you to know that I'm always proud of you," explained Alex. "There are times when we don't see eye-to-eye but even in those moments I will always be proud of you for who you are."

"Thanks, dad," said Junior quietly as she gave him hug.

"Honey, I know you wanted a sewing machine," said Alex as the hug broke. "But right now your mother and I want to be confident that you can balance your hobbies with your school work before we introduce more time consuming hobbies."

"I know," said Junior. "If I get my grades up by Christmas….maybe?"

"Maybe," replied Alex, giving her a peck on the cheek. "Goodnight, Junior."

"Goodnight," replied Junior. "I love you."

"I love you too, honey," he replied as he walked out of her room, shutting the door behind him.

He walked back to the bedroom he shared with Diana smiling he entire way. When he walked in Diana was sitting up on her side of the bed reading a stack of paperwork. She looked up when he walked in.

"Did she like the necklace?" asked Diana.

"Very much so," replied Alex as he plugged his cell phone in on his nightstand. "I can't believe Larry got them both iPads."

"I know," replied Diana. "It was very generous, though."

"Yes it was," said Alex as he took his watch off and put it on the dresser. "I just can't help but think…" he trailed off.

"What were you thinking?" inquired Diana.

"Should we really not have gotten Junior the sewing machine?" he asked. "I get that her grades aren't where we want them to be, but will not getting her the only gift she asked for really make her do better in school?"

"Alex we've been through this a hundred times," sighed Diana.

"I know we have," admitted Alex. "I just can't help but wonder if we made the right choice."

"We can't reward her for not doing her best, then expect her to do better," said Diana. "That's not how it works."

"I know," admitted Alex. "I just worry about how it will affect her creativity. You know she and I just have a special bond."

"Don't you dare go there," snapped Diana. "We're not starting this. I have a special bond with her as well."

"I know that-"

"But you were implying something," said Diana angrily. "I know what you were implying, and I really don't appreciate it. Listen, just because I didn't give birth to her myself doesn't mean that my love or bond with her is any less than with the other kids."

"I know that," said Alex, going over to shut the door tightly before continuing. "And I wasn't implying anything. All I'm saying is that she's so different from both of us, and the other kids to be honest, that maybe a straight set of rules isn't the way to go. What if we end up holding her back in something that she excels at in an attempt to fit into our mold?"

"And all I'm saying is that I'd rather not have this discussion right now," replied Diana. "Maybe you would be more comfortable sleeping in the guest room for tonight."

"I just may," said Alex coldly, picking up his phone and walking out of the bedroom.

It wasn't often that Alex was banished to the guest room, and each time before he had been welcomed back into his marital bed the following night. As he turned down the sheets of the guest bed hastily he silently hoped that they had been washed recently. He got under the covers muttering to himself, angrily.

"I get kicked out of my own bed for doing nothing," he said quietly to himself. "Not to mention if it weren't for me we wouldn't even have a 14 year old." Despite his aggravation Alex soon fell asleep. It wasn't a deep sleep, nor a good sleep, but it was sleep nonetheless.

Meanwhile Jamie sat in his room pondering the events of this evening. His sister's birthday dinner had been uneventful, but what he had just overheard wasn't. He hadn't meant to overhear his parents' argument. He was just going downstairs to put a dirty glass from his room in the sink. At first what he had heard confused him, but now he knew what his mother's statement meant.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning as Diana was standing at the cupboard pouring cereal into her youngest daughter's bowl she heard the familiar footsteps of her husband walking into the kitchen. She mustered all her strength not to turn around, choosing to ignore his entrance. Alex walked up behind her and she felt his arms wrap around her waist as he had done so many times before. He leaned in gently resting his head on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, and he felt her body relax.

"I know," she replied, quietly. "I'm sorry I overreacted"

"Get a room," said Jaimie, as he walked in and sat at the kitchen table, pouring a glass of orange juice for himself.

"We did," replied Alex, smiling as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "If I'm not mistaken that's how you came to be."

Jamie gave his father a look of repulsion while Diana swatted Alex's arm in a playful way. Alex picked up the bowl of cereal Diana had poured and placed it where Claire normally sat.

"Claire," he called across the house as he made his way to his own seat. "Come eat your breakfast."

"Daddy, can't I eat my breakfast while I watch cartoons?" she asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"No, you'll make a mess," replied Alex. "You can watch cartoons when you're finished."

"All right," said Claire as she climbed up on her chair and settled in, a slight pout on her face.

"What do you want for breakfast, Alex?" asked Diana as she put two slices of bread in the toaster.

"Toast is fine, honey," he replied, taking a sip of his coffee and standing up. "I'll finish up with breakfast, sit down."

Diana took a seat at the table and picked up the newspaper, looking at the arts section.

"Jamie, aren't you going to a friend's house tonight?" inquired Diana.

"Yeah I'm going to Dan's house," replied Jaimie chewing a bite of sugary cereal. "We have to work on our project for the STEM fair."

"That's what I thought," replied Diana. "And Junior is going to Emily's house for a sleepover." She gave Alex a significant a look and pointed her finger to an event in the paper. He leaned in and read the small print, nodding in realization, then returned to finish buttering the two pieces of toast that he had just retrieved.

After the children had finished breakfast and left the table to get dressed, Alex and Diana sat at the table sipping their coffee and reading the paper.

"Do you think it's sold out?" asked Diana.

"No idea," replied to Alex. "I'll sneak out to my car and call the number when I'm done with my coffee. One of us should also go wake Junior up."

"No," said Diana. "Let her sleep in a bit. She's going to a sleepover tonight and every girl knows that you can't be the first one to go to sleep. Otherwise you're the one who wakes to find her bra and underwear frozen."

"What?!" asked Alex setting down his section of the paper. "That can't possibly be true. How do you freeze a bra?"

"You get it wet, and then throw it in the freezer," replied Diana in a matter of fact "Ask your daughter. She froze Madison Gold's bra two months ago at the sleepover hosted here."

"That's barbaric," exclaimed Alex. "Why, may I ask, do they do this?"

"They think it's funny," sighed Diana, finally setting down her section of the newspaper, taking a long sip of her coffee.

"Did girls ever freeze your bra?" her husband asked.

"No," laughed Diana. "I was never invited to a sleepover that didn't involve cousins."

"We didn't really have sleepovers in Austria," recalled Alex. "Or I was so unpopular I never got wind of any."

Later that afternoon while Diana was dropping Junior off, Alex and Claire sat cuddled on the sofa watching the Nick Jr. channel eating chips.

"I love Dora, daddy," said Claire between bites.

"I know you do," replied Alex, smiling. "How about I pause it, and you can go put your Dora shirt on, and then I'll braid your hair."

"Ok," she squeaked as she got up and ran to change tops. She came back downstairs a little while later with her favorite Dora the Explorer shirt on and a hair tie in hand. She crawled up on her father's lap, where he began carefully separating her hair and working out tangles so as not to pull her hair.

"You forgot to push play," she pointed out.

"Oh you're right," replied Alex as he grabbed the remote and started the program. "There we go."

He started braiding her hair slowly, being careful to make sure that the strands lie smoothly across her head before tucking them into the braid.

"How come you know how to braid hair?" asked Claire.

"When Junior was little her hair was kind of wild," explained Alex without looking up from his daughter's hair. "Aunt Angela showed me how to braid her hair so it looked a little neater."

"And you still remember how to do it?" she inquired.

"I've done it enough that I don't think I'll ever forget," he said as he twisted the hair tie around the end of the short braid. "I'll remember it even when you have little girls with long hair."

Claire reached back to feel the back of her head that was neatly wrapped into a tight braid, and smiled back at her father.

"Go get the hairspray in the red can," he instructed. "I'll put a little on there to make sure it holds for later."

"What's later?" she asked pushing herself off of his lap.

"We have to run some errands," he replied simply. "I don't want your hair in your face for them."

The door opened and Diana walked in, taking off her jacket and hanging it on the rack. She came into the living room, and took in her surroundings.

"My little salt hounds," she exclaimed. "I never can keep you two out of the chips."

"Nope," said Claire, smiling. "Look, daddy did my hair."

"I see," replied Diana. "Why don't you go brush your teeth, we're leaving in a few minutes."

Claire pushed herself off of Alex's lap and made her way upstairs. Once Diana was sure the child was out of earshot, she turned to Alex.

"Are they holding the tickets at the box office?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied. "And I took the liberty of charging the camera up. So we should be set."

"Why are we going to the grocery store?" asked Claire from the back seat. "We just went to the store the other day."

"We need toilet paper, darling," replied Diana. "After we're done here we need to go find some shoes for your father."

They wandered the store for a few minutes picking up toilet paper, and laundry detergent before paying for their purchases, and returning to the car.

"I bet Jamie and Junior are having lots of fun," said Claire, looking out the window as Alex backed out of his parking spot. Diana shot Alex a smile before replying.

"Once we find some shoes for your father we can go home, honey," said Diana. "Then you can watch cartoons or play."

Alex had a grin on his face as he pulled into the parking garage. A confused look crossed Claire's face as her father pulled into a parking spot.

"This doesn't look like a shoe store," she said.

"You're right, Claire," said Alex. "We lied. We're not buying shoes."

"Honey," said Diana as she turned around to face her daughter. "We're going to see Dora the Explorer Live."

An ear piercing shriek filled the car.

"I'm just going to assume you're excited," said Diana.

"Yes, yes, yes," replied Claire. "Are we really going?"

"Yes," said Alex. "In fact, we're already here."

After helping her from the car, Alex took his youngest daughter's hand and the family made their way to the event. Half way to the box office Claire began lagging, walking slower. Alex reached down and picked her up, and she allowed him to carry her the rest of the way. Alex treasured this moment since he knew too soon he would never carry her like this again. Just like he would never carry his other children again.

After getting inside the auditorium the amount of vendors present were overwhelming. In each direction were people selling small wands that lid up, t-shirts, balloons, cotton candy, and plush animals. Claire was immediately drawn to a man selling small light up instruments that changed color as they made a "whizzing" sound. She walked up to the display, eyes fixed on the colored lights.

"It seems your granddaughter knows what she likes," said the vendor. The man failed to notice the icy glare he received from Alex while Diana chuckled. "They're only $15, or two for $25."

Alex bought one of the wands and took his family to find their seats. After settling in Alex put an arm around his wife.

"Be careful grandpa, I don't want you to pull a muscle," said Diana grinning.

"That was garbage," said Alex. "Do I really look like Claire's grandfather?"

"Not I've noticed," replied Diana. "Although I don't go around cataloging grandfathers and what they look like."

"You don't?" asked Alex playfully. "I thought that's what you've been working on lately."

After the show on the ride home Diana's cell phone rang, she leaned down to get it out of her purse, looking at the number before answering it.

"Hello," she said as she put the phone to her ear. "Yeah, Jamie that's fine if it's all right with Dan's parents. Ok, then. See you tomorrow." She hung up the phone, slipping it into her bag. She turned to Alex. "That was Jamie, he's spending the night over there."

"That's good," replied Alex, checking his rearview mirror before changing lanes. "Now both of them are having a fun night."

"We could have a fun night, too," said Diana peering back to see Claire asleep in her booster seat. "We could get takeout, and lie around all night."

"Food I don't have to cook and not being required to do anything is my perfect night," replied Alex. "How did you know?"

When they got home Diana put Claire to bed, tucking her in, and shutting the door before going downstairs. She found Alex in his study on his laptop.

"I thought we were ordering dinner," she said as she walked over and leaned against his chair.

"We are," replied Alex. "I'm looking at menus online. What do you feel like?"

"How about seafood," she suggested. "We can have them deliver."

"No," said Alex. "If you order, I'll go pick it up. Then I can grab some wine to go with it."

Alex went to get his shoes on and grab his jacket, when he came back his wife was just getting off the phone.

"Ready in 40 minutes," she said as she set the phone back on its hook. "I ordered you the sturgeon and myself the lobster."

"Perfect," replied Alex. "I'm leaving now to pick it up. Any wine preference?"

"None," said Diana. "Just hurry back before I fall asleep."

"Got it," replied Alex as he grabbed his keys off the desk.

About an hour later Alex returned to find Diana in the kitchen, lit candles on the table.

"Candles," remarked Alex as he set the bags of food on the counter. He retrieved two bottles of wine from a paper bag, and pulled the corkscrew from a drawer. "I couldn't decide between the Chardonnay and the Sauvignon Blanc, so I got both. Which one should we open first?"

"The Sauvignon," replied Diana as she started placing containers of food on the table. "That will go well with the oysters I ordered."

Alex poured a glass of wine for his wife, then one for himself. He sat down at the table next to his wife and she took a sip of the deep red wine.

"That's a very good wine," she said.

"I don't deserve any of the credit," replied Alex chuckling. "The man at the shop recommended it. He also recommended the Chardonnay, and since I'm so inept I took both instead of trying to choose."

"My indecisive hero," laughed Diana. 'What would I do without you?"

"Live with less of a headache," replied Alex, smiling. "Although there's nothing to be done about that now, we were legally bound to each other years ago. I have the tax returns to prove it."

They sat eating and laughing for over an hour, steadily draining the first bottle of wine until it was gone. Diana got up and retrieved the second bottle of wine from the refrigerator and opened it. When she returned to where she was sitting there was a small black jewelry box on the table.

"What on earth is this?" she asked, picking the box up and taking her seat.

"Did you really think I would by a piece of jewelry for our daughter but forget about you?" inquired Alex as he refilled their glasses. "Open it."

Diana opened the box to see a white gold band with small diamonds set around it, but with three different colored stones in the middle. She looked at him, tears filled her eyes.

"The kids' birthstones," she said. "It's beautiful."

"Consider it an early anniversary present," he replied. "I thought it would replace your current wedding band nicely."

"I love it," she said as she slipped the ring on. She leaned in and kissed her husband. "Thank you."

"I'm glad I did well," said Alex smiling, as he wrapped his arms around her. "Now let's finish this bottle upstairs."


	7. Chapter 7

The day after Thanksgiving began the usual decoration of the Hesse home for Christmas. It had been this way ever since Junior could remember. While many parents were preoccupied with shopping for sales, Black Friday for her family meant getting the ornaments and other decorations out of the attic and putting them up. She had just taken a box of ornaments downstairs to her mother when she returned to the attic to search for more. Among the many boxes of various files and documents a small metal box with a latch caught her eye. She abandoned the box of garland she was supposed to bring down and instead picked up the box she'd never noticed before. She perched herself on an old wooden chest before opening it.

Inside the box was a stack of old pictures and news clippings. On the top was a photo of her mother looking very happy standing on a beach, the back of the photo read "_Cornwall-July 1982._" As she continued to dig she found clippings from various school newspapers. One clipping she came across was titled "_The Future of Cryogenics is Here_." She began reading the article that was written about her mother's work at Leland University. A photo was included with the article. In the picture Diana was standing with her hands in the pockets of her khakis in what Junior could only assume was her old laboratory, the photo caption read "_Taken September 22, 1994_." Junior chalked this up to being an error since she was born just a few weeks later, and it was obvious that her mother wasn't pregnant in the photo. However, she folded the clipping up and slipped it into the back pocket of her jeans before returning the metal box to wear she had found it. As she started to turn back the voice of her brother startled her, almost making her fall.

"Did you get lost up here?" asked Jamie as he climbed the final step into the attic. "Jesus, you've been up here for like 15 minutes."

"Oh shut up," replied Junior. "I was just trying to find the garland."

"Maybe you should check that box marked 'Garland,"" said Jamie. "I don't know, that's where I would look."

"You're such an ass," replied Junior, picking up the box and walking over to the exit from the attic. "You can finish bringing this stuff down, I'm going to help mom put it all up."

Downstairs Alex had just finished putting up the artificial tree. He was fluffing up the branches as Junior walked into the living room.

"Why don't we have a real tree?" asked Claire. "Nolan says his family gets a real tree."

"Because if a real tree dries out, it can be a fire hazard," explained Alex. "And your mother and I don't trust ourselves enough to remember to water a real tree."

"Most people have fake trees, Claire," added Junior as she set the box of garland down. "It's kind of a hassle in this city to buy a real tree and haul it home."

"Oh good the garland," said Diana as she opened the box. "Junior, do you want to help me put it up on the staircase?"

"Sure, mom," replied Junior. "I'll go get the command hooks."

A few minutes later mother and daughter were deep into the process of decorating the bannister, as they had done for years. Junior started thinking about the clipping she had found that now resided in her pocket.

"Mom, when did you move to California?" asked Junior.

"Umm, it would have been January of '94," replied Diana as she struggled to get the piece of garland to lay right. "I got the job offer in mid-January and I moved here within a week. I remember I had expected it to be cold, but not for it to be so rainy. Why do you ask, darling?"

"No reason," lied Junior. "I was just curious."

Later that night Junior was lying in bed looking at the clipping of her mother's previous work. She knew that the date on the photo had to have been wrong, but she couldn't see how. It couldn't have been taken the previous year since her mother wasn't even in San Francisco yet, and the year following this she would have been pregnant with Jamie. It didn't make any sense. She could just ask her mother, but that seemed silly. She decided to put the thought out of her mind, along with the newspaper clipping. Junior gently folded the thin, yellow paper and tucked it into her sketchbook before placing the sketchbook in the drawer of her nightstand.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Four days before Christmas Junior browsed the selection of children's clothing at Macy's with her mother. The store was crowded, and Christmas music blared on loop over the speakers. She picked up a white t-shirt that had a bright, glittery heart right in the center. She held it up to show her mother.

"How about this?" she asked. "Clare loves glitter."

"Good," replied Diana. "She also loves pink. Now we just have to finish shopping for your father, and then we can leave."

"What do you want to get him?" asked Junior.

"I have no idea," said Diana with a sigh. "I thought we could wander around until we find something. You're the only child who enjoys that."

"What about a new bag for his laptop," suggested Junior. "His old one is looking pretty ratty."

"That's a good idea," replied Diana smiling. She placed an arm around her daughter. "This is why I brought you, otherwise he'd just get another tie."

As they headed down the escalator to the floor with handbags, Junior bit her lip, wondering if she should bring up the subject of her own Christmas gift. She decided it was now or never.

"You know my grades have come up," said Junior as nonchalantly as she could. "I raised my algebra grade from a C+ to a B."

"I know, darling," replied Diana. "And I'm very proud of you for putting in that effort."

"I was just wondering what kind of gift I'd be receiving on Tuesday."

"You know I'm not going to tell you," laughed Diana. "But I think you'll be pleased."

Junior didn't push the subject any further, knowing that it wouldn't get her any closer to a concrete answer. But she smiled because her mother had given her a bit of hope. They got off the escalator and made their way to where the handbags were kept.

"This one has wheels," exclaimed Diana as she pulled a black bag that resembled a suitcase more than it did a laptop bag.

"He wouldn't be caught dead with that," laughed Junior. "You should get it for him just to watch his face when he pretends to like it."

"This one is nice," said Diana, picking up a soft leather bag. "It looks sturdy, too."

"It should be," replied Junior. She looked at the the price tag. "For $400 it should last the next 50 years. But get the brown one, it looks better, and most of his shoes are brown."

Diana picked up the brown bag, examining it carefully, looking for flaws while silently feeling the soft leather under her fingers.

"I agree," said Diana. "This one does look better."

"I have an eye for these things," replied Junior. "One day my designs will be sold here."

"I don't doubt that," said Diana. "I just hope I can afford them."

"Don't worry," said Junior, smirking. "I'll send you samples."

'Well that's only fair," laughed Diana. "I've fed and clothed you all these years, so I think I'm entitled to some free clothing."

Christmas morning came and the first person awake was Alex. He looked over at the clock and saw that it read 7:20. He slowly rolled over toward his wife and wrapped his arms around her. She stirred slightly, but didn't open her eyes.

"What time is it?" mumbled Diana.

"A little after seven," he whispered. "The kids will be up soon. Should I start some coffee?"

"Why you ever feel the need to ask that question I'll never know," replied Diana.

Alex rolled over, pushed the covers off, and slid to the edge of the bed. He stretched his stiff shoulders before putting on his glasses and standing up. He slid his feet into his slippers and left his bedroom as quietly as he could. Walking down the stairs, he was sure to make his steps as soft as possible so as not to wake his children. When he walked through the living room on his way to the kitchen he was surprised to see Jamie sitting on the sofa watching television.

"Merry Christmas," said Alex.

"Merry Christmas," replied Jamie.

"What time did you wake up?" asked Alex.

"About an hour ago," said Jamie. "I couldn't sleep so I figured I'd watch Christmas movies until everyone else woke up."

"That's how you're different from your sisters," remarked Alex. "Either one of them would have woken everyone else in the house up. Are you hungry?"

"Starving."

"What do you want?" asked Alex. "I'll fix us something."

"Eggs," replied Jamie, standing up from the sofa. "Do we have sausage?"

"We do," replied Alex walking into the kitchen and taking a frying pan out of the cupboard and placing it on the stove. He walked over to the refrigerator and got out a carton of eggs. "How do you want your eggs?"

"Over-medium," said Jamie sitting down at the kitchen table.

"My favorite," said Alex, smiling as he sprayed the pan and turned the stove on. "What's new with you?"

"Not much," replied Jamie. "Can Dan come over for dinner on Friday?"

"We'll have to check with your mother," said Alex as he cracked the first egg onto the pan. "But I don't see why not."

After placing a few sausage links in the pan next to the eggs, Alex put a filter in the coffee machine and began scooping coffee into it. As he filled the coffee pot with water he started the conversation back up.

"What are your plans over break?"

"I don't know," replied Jamie, pulling at the sleeve of his pajamas. "Be lazy. I didn't get much homework."

"Maybe we could do some fun things while you're off," suggested Alex, flipping the eggs. "We might as well, since you guys are all off of school and I'm not working."

"That would be good," said Jamie. "I don't know what we could do, though, that we would all agree on."

"A challenge I'm willing to tackle," replied Alex. "Can you get some plates out? The eggs are almost ready."

Jamie got up and took down two plates, setting them next to the stove. Alex dished out the eggs, followed by the sausage a few moments later. Jamie put the plates of food on the table before taking a carton of orange juice out of the refrigerator and pouring himself a glass. Alex poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table, cutting his eggs with the side of his fork.

"I thought you were just starting coffee," interrupted Diana from the doorway. "I wasn't aware breakfast was included."

"Sorry, honey," apologized Alex. "I though you would like to sleep a little longer. There's more sausage in the pan, and I can make you some eggs."

"No, that's all right," said Diana, walking over to the coffee machine and pouring herself a cup. "Sausage will do. Jamie, how long have you been awake?"

"A while," replied Jamie with a mouth full of eggs.

Diana put the remaining sausage on a plate and sat down next to Alex.

"Help yourself to my eggs," he said. "There are plenty."

"That's all right," said Diana, taking a sip from her coffee. "I prefer scrambled anyway."

"Just like Junior," added Jamie. "Isn't it weird how that stuff works?"

"Yes it is," replied Diana as she cut up her sausage link. "She like scrambled eggs like me, but hot sauce on them like your father. And you like your eggs the same way as he does, but you don't like spicy foods."

She was interrupted by the sound of an excited squeal coming from upstairs.

"Claire's awake," chuckled Alex, shoveling another bite of eggs into his mouth.

A few moments later Claire came running into the kitchen, still in her pajamas, out of breath.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" she asked. "It's Christmas!"

"Well, you're awake now," replied Diana, brushing her daughter's hair off her face. "Go wake your sister up, and then we can open presents."

Claire burst into Junior's room to see her sister sound asleep, lying on her stomach. She rushed over to the bed, shaking Junior's shoulder.

"Junior," she squeaked. "Junior, wake up. It's Christmas!"

Junior opened her eyes sleepily. She looked at her alarm clock, realizing it was in fact Christmas morning, threw back her blankets, and practically lunged from the bed. She smiled, hoping a very specific gift was under the tree waiting for her. As she put her slippers on Claire rushed out of the room.

"Hurry up," called Claire as she ran down the hallway.

Junior walked into the living room to see the rest of her family waiting for her. The presents under the tree were numerous, and their stockings were full.

"Merry Christmas, darling," said Diana. "Did you sleep well?"

"Merry Christmas," replied Junior. "I slept fine."

"What are you guys waiting for?" asked Alex. "Get your stockings."

Claire hopped up from where she was sitting on the floor and took her stocking off the fireplace that the Hesse family almost never used. She sat back down where she was and dumped its contents on the floor. The other children grabbed theirs and began taking out small presents and opening them.

"Candy!" exclaimed Claire, holding up a package of gummy bears.

Each child had gotten a small package of candy and other goods. Once they had opened everything in their stockings they moved onto the larger present wrapped neatly under the tree. Jamie picked up a small package, which upon opening revealed three new video games that he had requested. Alex opened a box to reveal a new cardigan, and a cashmere scarf.

"I love them," he said as he smiled at Diana. "I love them."

"Thank Claire," replied Diana, nodding toward their youngest child. "She picked them out."

"Is that true?" he asked her.

"Yes," replied Claire, beaming. "Do you really like them?"

"I love them, honey," said Alex pulling her closer and giving he a kiss on the cheek. "I'll think of you anytime I wear them."

Claire returned to opening gifts. The next one she opened had a LeapPad in it.

"A LeapPad?" cried Claire. "I wanted one of these!"

"We know," said Diana, she pointed to another gift with Claire's name on it. "In that other package with your name on it are some games."

While Claire hurried over to the next package, Junior opened the last gift with her name on it: an envelope. She opened it to reveal a small note that said: Your last gift is in the hall closet. She sprung to her feet and bolted to closet in which they kept their coats. On the floor was a large box, wrapped in red paper. She knew exactly what it was without opening it. Pulling the box out of the closet was a chore as it was quite heavy. With a heave, she lifted it up and carried it into the living room, setting it on the floor. She ripped the paper open to reveal a box with a picture of a sewing machine on it.

"I love it!" exclaimed Junior. She started prying off the tape holding the box shut. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome," said Diana. "Later this week we can go to the store and pick up some fabric."

"What are you going to make first?" asked Alex, smiling.

"I don't know," replied Junior honestly. "I didn't think I'd actually get one."

That evening the entire family got in the car and headed to the Arbogast's home for dinner. The tradition of having Christmas dinner together had started 14 years earlier out of convenience, and had continued on each year. Normally Angela made a large feast of either turkey or ham, with a variety of sides. When they got there Jake opened the door, and as they were taking off their coats Larry came to greet them, with a pint of beer in his hand.

"Merry Christmas, everyone," said Larry. "Change of plans. Angela didn't feel like cooking, so we just ordered Chinese."

"No, Angela did feel like cooking," added Angela, as she walked out of the kitchen. "But _someone_, who shall remain nameless, didn't pick up the ham like I requested. So I have nothing to cook."

"Chinese sounds great," replied Diana, as she helped Claire take off her jacket.

"What can I get you all to drink?" asked Larry as they walked into the living room.

"I'll have whatever you're drinking," replied Alex as he took a seat on the sofa.

"If you have any wine, I'll take it," added Diana. "Anything without caffeine for Claire."

Jake helped his father bring in drinks from the kitchen. He brought a Sprite for Claire, and Pepsi for himself, Jaimie and Junior. Larry handed Alex a glass of an amber colored beer.

"This is really good," said Alex after taking a sip. "What is it?"

"It's an ale from a small gastropub in Haight-Ashbury I just invested in," replied Larry. "Craft beer is becoming popular around here. They'll have more selection soon."

"You're always investing in something," remarked Alex as he shook his head.

"It's what I do," chuckled Larry. "I see something I like and I get involved. When do you start that new job?"

"Middle of January," replied Alex. "It's only a semester since I'm subbing, but at least it's something to keep me occupied."

"Go easy on those kids," replied Larry with a laugh.

"What do you mean by that?" inquired Alex.

"I mean it's a community college," replied Larry. "You'll be teaching a 100 level class to kids who are required to take it. You're not going to get the type of students you're used to teaching. It's not grad school."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Alex. 'Although it shouldn't be too difficult since I'll be working off the usual instructor's syllabus."

"Hey you two," interrupted Angela. "We should let the kids open their gifts."

"We got them gifts?" asked Larry. "I don't recall getting them gifts."

"You always get us gifts," replied Claire matter-of-factly.

"Oh that's right," said Larry as he stood up. "We do."

He walked out of the room, returning a few minutes later with arms full of wrapped packages. He set them down in front of the coffee table, picking an envelope off the stack, and handing it to Alex.

"This is for you guys," he explained. "Think of it as a Christmas present and an early anniversary present."

Alex handed the envelope to Diana, and she opened it. After reading the contents she handed it to Alex, and smiled.

"A long weekend in Sonoma?" she asked. "That's very generous. Thank you."

"And we'll keep the kids," added Angela. "Just let us know when you're going and they can stay here."

"We figured it's been a while since you've gone anywhere without them," explained Larry. "And since you never really ask us to take them for you, we decided to force you to have some alone time."

Meanwhile the kids were admiring their own gifts. Junior had gotten a bottle of expensive perfume, along with a bracelet that she could add charms to. Jaimie got a watch with the Hogwarts Crest on the face of it, and a gift card to GameStop. Claire received a stack of DVD's and a pair of shoes that lit up whenever she took a step. Each Hesse child was thoroughly examining their own and each other's gifts when the doorbell rang, signaling that dinner had arrived.

"Food's here," announced Larry as he stood up from his seat. "Jake, can you help me carry it?"

"I'll help, too," said Jaimie as he stood up.

Soon both families were sitting at the dining room table heaping mounds of rice and sauce-laden food onto their plates.

"We should have Chinese every Christmas," said Jake to Junior. "I think we should suggest this as a new tradition."

"I don't know," replied Junior. "I love Chinese, but I also look forward to the ham."

"What are you doing over break?" he asked.

"No idea," replied Junior. "Probably learn to use my sewing machine. Madison might be having a sleepover."

"Will you be invited?" he asked. "I mean you did freeze her bra."

"Of course I will," she replied. "That was just a bit of fun. We put it in the dryer right away to thaw it."

"My dad got me tickets to see Plain White T's in February," said Jake. "Wanna go?"

"Sure," replied Junior after swallowing a bite of food. "What night of the week is it?"

"It's a Thursday," he replied, helping himself to another egg roll.

"I don't know if my parents will let me," said Junior. "They're pretty weird about stuff on school nights."

"We'll just have my dad ask yours," explained Jake. "He can talk your dad into saying 'yes.'"

"This is why we're friends," said Junior with a smile. "You always have the best ideas."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Jake walked into the living room to see his parents snuggled up on the sofa watching _The Godfather_. The movie was one of his father's favorites, and if it was on, he automatically watched it. Jake took a seat in one of the armchairs. His mother looked across the room at him.

"Is your homework done?" she inquired.

"Yeah," replied Jake.

"Good," replied Angela with a smile.

"Did you clean your room?" asked Larry. "The kids are coming tomorrow for the weekend."

"All clean," said Jake, not looking away from the television. A commercial break started. "Dad, I was actually going to ask you for something."

"What is it?" asked Larry, looking at his son.

"You know how you got me those concert tickets for Christmas?" his father simply nodded in reply. "Well it's in a couple of weeks, and I want Junior to go, but Uncle Alex and Aunt Diana are kind of strict when it comes to her doing stuff on weeknights. So I was thinking you could ask them for her."

"So you're asking me to conspire with you two," replied Larry with a grin. "I'd be happy to."

"Thanks, dad," said Jake excitedly. "Do you think you can convince them to let her go?"

"_Him_," corrected Larry. "I've talked her father into things far harder than this."

"You're not lying," chuckled Angela.

"Ok," said Jake, slightly confused. He stood up to return to his bedroom. "Just, please don't forget to ask."

"I won't," replied his father. "I've got your back."

Jake rolled his eyes in response to his father's attempt at using modern slang, and left the room.

"What do you think of that?" asked Angela after Jake had left the room.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, that out of all of his friends, he wants her to go," she said. "What do you make of it?"

"I think that he's realized how pretty she's become," replied Larry as he pulled Angela closer. "And just like his old man, he likes the company of pretty girls."

"You're something else," said Angela with a grin.

"Don't I know it," replied Larry.

The next morning Angela answered the door to see Alex standing on the porch with two small suitcases, and a larger one.

"Morning," said Angela, stepping aside for him to come in.

"Good morning," replied Alex as he stepped into the entryway. "These are the kids' bags. The blue one is Jaimie's, the black is Claire's, and the monstrosity belongs to Junior. Where should I put them?"

"You can put the girls' bags in the guest room, and Jamie's bag in Jake's room," replied Angela. "Or you can leave them right here and let Larry do it."

"No," said Alex. "I'll take them up."

He carried the bags upstairs, putting Jaimie's bag in Jake's room first. He walked down the hall to the guest bedroom, opening the door and entering it. After placing his daughters' bags at the foot of the bed, he looked around. The décor had changed, but the furniture placement had not. Even with the new gold wallpaper, and matching deep-red bedding and curtains, there was a certain familiarity. He looked at the four poster bed where he had slept so many nights all those years ago and felt nostalgic. He smiled, then left the room, shutting the door behind him. Angela was waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

"All set?" she asked, as he descended the stairs.

"I think so," replied Alex with a sigh. "If Claire's allergies bother her, there's some Dimetapp in her bag. Diana and I will both have our cell phones, so if you need anything just call. Thanks again."

"No problem," she replied. "We love having the kids over."

"We'll see if you still feel that way in 3 days," he replied as he opened the front door, and walked out. "See you Monday."

"Have fun," said Angela. "And don't worry, they'll be fine."

That evening after a dinner consisting of pizza, the Hesse children sat with Jake watching _The Parent Trap_. It was past Claire's normal bedtime, but each child knew that bedtime rules didn't exist at the Arbogast home on weekends, so no one brought it up.

"This movie never gets old," said Junior. "I could watch it a thousand times and still enjoy it."

"I think you have watched it a thousand times," replied Jaimie.

"I would have to agree," added Jake. "We have maybe four sleepovers a year, but I feel like you always pick this movie."

"Fine," replied Junior. "I won't pick it ever again."

"I didn't say there was anything wrong with picking this movie," Jake back-peddled. "Just that you usually choose this one."

Larry walked into the room carrying a bowl of chips, and a bowl of salsa. He placed them on the coffee table and looked at the television.

"_The Parent Trap_," he said as if thinking aloud. "I know who got to pick the first film of the evening."

Both boys made eye contact and started laughing.

"Ok," said Junior, feigning irritation. "I get it, I'm predictable."

"But in the best way, honey," replied Larry chuckling.

A couple hours, and another family movie later it was obvious that Claire needed to go to bed. She sat in a daze on the floor, staring at the TV with glassy, red eyes.

"Come on Claire," said Angela. "Let's get ready for bed."

"Junior, are you going to bed?" asked Claire.

"I wasn't planning on it," replied Junior, looking away from the TV.

Claire got up and walked to where her sister was sitting on the sofa and climbed up onto her lap.

"I don't want to go to bed alone," she whispered in Junior's ear. "Go with me, please."

Junior saw the look of pleading on her sister's face and knew she had no other choice.

"All right, Claire," said Junior, nudging her younger sister off her lap. "Let's go get ready for bed."

"I can help her get ready," said Angela. "That way you can watch the rest of the movie."

"No, that's fine," replied Junior giving her a significant look. "I don't mind helping her."

Upstairs Junior got Claire's pajamas out of her suitcase and helped her get out of her jeans and t-shirt. After she was dressed for bed, Junior handed Claire her toothbrush and toothpaste and started turning down the bed. She went to stand in the doorway of the bathroom connected to the bathroom to make sure the youngest Hesse followed through on brushing her teeth.

"Aren't you going to get your pajamas on?" asked Claire as she struggled to put toothpaste on her toothbrush.

"Not right now," replied Junior, stepping into the bathroom and helping Claire with the toothpaste tube. "I will in a little bit."

After Claire had brushed her teeth and used the bathroom, Junior helped her get into the bed, crawling in beside her and laying back onto one of the ultra-soft pillows. Claire scooted herself closer to Junior.

"I don't like sleeping in strange places," whispered Claire. "I get scared."

"But this isn't a strange place," replied Junior.

"I don't remember sleeping here before," said Claire.

"I guess you wouldn't," said Junior. "The last time was when you were about two."

Thinking about it, Junior realized she had probably spent the night in this bedroom about a dozen times that she could remember. But somehow it seemed like more than that. There was a familiarity about this bedroom that seemed like she'd slept here a hundred times. That's how she felt about the entire Arbogast home. She had been raised so closely with Jake that every inch of the house felt like a second home: a place where she was totally comfortable.

Less than 10 minutes later Claire had given in to her exhaustion, and her slow, deep breaths signaled that she had fallen asleep. Very carefully Junior got up, trying not to disturb her sister. After managing to get out of bed, she pulled the blankets over Claire's shoulders and left the room.

"That didn't take long," said Larry when he saw Junior walk back into the living room. "Is she asleep?"

"Yeah," replied Junior sitting down on the sofa. "She just gets so anxious sleeping anywhere but home."

"You were never like that," said Angela. "I remember so many times when you would ask to stay here."

"We'd rent movies and eat all the food I wasn't allowed to eat at home," added Junior.

"The good old days," said Jaimie. "Junior, do you remember when it was the two of us who used to share the guest bedroom? Before Claire came along?"

"I sure do," replied Junior. "You always hogged the blankets."

Later that night as Angela was putting their dirty clothes in the hamper, Larry sat on the edge of their bed, deep in thought.

"We're not going to have this much longer," he said, almost out of nowhere.

"Have what?" she asked.

"Jake at home," replied Larry. "Having the other kids over for a sleepover. Pretty soon he'll be at college, and so will the other kids. Then they leave home forever."

"Don't get dramatic," replied Angela as she crawled into the bed on her side.

"I'm not being dramatic," said Larry as he got into the bed next to her. "I'm just thinking. We're getting really close to that point when we won't have kids around."

"True," agreed Angela. "But then eventually we get grandkids. And then we'll have a use for the guest room again."

"I guess," conceded Larry. He turned off the light on his nightstand and laid back.

The next afternoon Larry was sitting at the table with all four kids, teaching Claire to play Uno. She was sitting on his lap so he could help her with what to play.

"Should I put down this card?" she asked him quietly.

"That one works," he whispered. "But if you really want to win put down the "Draw 4" card."

She played the card he had instructed and her siblings groaned.

"I'm going to the store," announced Angela as she walked into the kitchen. "Anyone want to join me?'

"What are you going to the store for?" asked Larry. "You just went Thursday."

"I just realized we're out of laundry detergent," replied Angela. "So if you'd like to have clean clothes this week I need to get some."

"I'll go," said Junior. "I'm losing anyway. Claire, do you want to go?"

"No," replied Claire. "I'm having fun."

When they got to the grocery store, Angela got a cart and they made their way through the crowded store to the detergent aisle. After browsing for a moment Angela spotted what she was looking for and grabbed two bottles, placing them in the cart.

"Junior," said Angela. "Can you go grab a 12 pack of Sprite, and meet me in the frozen aisle? That might make this trip a little bit quicker."

"Sure," replied Junior, and she walked toward where the soda was kept.

It wasn't a particularly large store, but it was busy so making her way through the crowd took time and effort. She found what she was looking for but had to wait for no fewer than three people to move before she could grab it. With the pack of soda finally in hand she made her way toward the frozen food. She spotted Angela from about 15 feet away. She was talking to a man Junior had never met. He was tall with sandy brown hair. She'd never met him, but he looked familiar to Junior. As she walked up and placed the soda into the cart she noticed the stranger staring at her.

"Well, we have to be going," Angela said to the man. She took Junior's arm and led her toward the checkout lanes. Junior looked back to see the man still staring in their direction.

Angela was unusually quiet as she loaded the groceries onto the checkout belt and paid. It had begun to drizzle, and they walked quickly to Angela's van. Junior took the cart back up to the store and returned to the van, getting into the passenger seat. The windshield wipers came on, punctuating the silence. Junior looked at Angela, wondering if she should ask the question on the tip of her tongue.

"Aunt Angela," she started, speaking softly. "Who was that guy?"

Angela looked back at her. She sighed. After a few moments of silence, she began to speak.

"He's someone from my past," explained Angela. "The world isn't black and white, there's a whole lot of gray mixed in. I don't regret having him as an acquaintance, but I'm not necessarily proud of it. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, it does," replied Junior.

"I'd prefer if you didn't mention him to anyone," added Angela. "If that's all right with you."

"I won't tell a soul," promised Junior, meaning every word.

That night Junior laid awake, listening to Claire's soft snoring. In an uncharacteristic manner Claire had fallen asleep with ease, while Junior was still awake, her mind racing. The way that man had looked at her made her feel anxious. He didn't look at her in a way that made her think he was some type of pervert, but rather in a way that made her feel he was looking at her like he knew her. But he didn't know her. He didn't know her name, where she lived, or who her parents were. But she knew him. His eyes, his face shape, he looked a lot like the person in this house that she was closest to. Junior knew that she would keep her promise to Angela, if for no other reason than to spare Jake from that pain.


End file.
